You're Invited into Healing Liberation

West End UMC Podcast Audio Podcast

You’re Invited into Healing Liberation – Today’s passage is from Mark, early in Jesus’ ministry but after he has called the first four disciples. He is in Capernaum, enters the synagogue and begins teaching, and the people are astounded by his authority in that teaching. Then a deranged man cries out, and Jesus exorcises the demon in the man, healing him. Both are demonstrations of the person and mission of Jesus, and this is a learning experience for those new disciples. As we are concerned about authority today, this scene in Capernaum of Jesus healing and liberating demonstrates the unlimited and unhindered authority of Jesus, who uses that authority to liberate rather than to dominate. Jesus later sends out the disciples to do just that: heal and liberate. It is also an example for us: as we are baptized, we, too, are sent out with the authority to heal and liberate, and thus we, like the disciples, are called to help achieve the vision of God’s world as described by the prophets.